For a brief time, Hao felt like he was on top of the world.
Powerful. Invincible.
…
Of course, aside from the overwhelming satisfaction, nothing extraordinary happened.
No enlightenment. No sudden burst of strength. No hidden cultivation benefits.
Just a really good soda.
Hao wasn’t bothered by it. The soda’s taste alone was worth it.
Today was a good day!
He had new products. The store looked less miserable. He even had a new flavor of noodles.
Things were moving in the right direction!
Meanwhile, outside the convenience store…
In the quiet alley of Sovereign City, a place rarely walked by, four figures stood waiting.
And they weren’t just any people.
They were disciples from top sects in the Shrouded Cloud Empire!
Among them was Lin Yijun, the first ever customer Hao had served.
Lin Yijun reached out and placed his hand on the convenience store door.
He pushed lightly.
The door didn’t move.
Lin Yijun frowned. Maybe he had been too gentle.
He applied a bit more strength.
Still nothing.
“…?”
Now serious, Lin Yijun steadily increased his power.
The seconds passed.
His hand pressed harder. His feet dug into the ground. His arms tensed.
Before he knew it –
He was giving it his all!
Veins popped on his forehead. His breathing turned rough. His face started to turn red.
Yet…
The door didn’t even shake.
Not a single movement. Not a single creak.
“…What… kind… of door… is this?!” Lin Yijun gritted his teeth, still pushing with all his might.
“Is this… some kind of divine artifact… crafted by the boss?!”
Standing behind him, a fellow disciple stepped forward with a small sigh.
“Brother Yijun, you’ve been slacking off again, haven’t you?
“I told you to keep training with me, but you just keep taking it easy.”
“If you had kept up with our sparring sessions, this door would’ve been nothing.”
The man was dressed in the same white robe as Lin Yijun, his dark brown hair neatly styled in a simple fringe that gave him a tidy and composed appearance.
He was just as handsome as Lin Yijun, but his presence radiated a sense of order that sharply contrasted Lin Yijun’s easygoing nature.
This was Xiao Lianfeng, Lin Yijun’s sworn brother.
Unlike Lin Yijun, who was an inner sect disciple, Xiao Lianfeng was a core disciple of the Drifting Sword Sect.
Lin Yijun turned his head slightly, giving Xiao Lianfeng an exaggerated glare.
“Hah! You can keep your non-stop training to yourself, Brother Lianfeng. Not everyone has to spend every waking hour cultivating like you!”
Xiao Lianfeng’s face didn’t even twitch.
“It’s not about spending hours, Brother Yijun. It’s about being dedicated.”
“Don’t complain when the door doesn’t open. You’ve got the strength, but no discipline!”
Lin Yijun huffed, still putting all his weight into the door.
Xiao Lianfeng gave a slight shake of his head.
“Brother Yijun, let me try it.”
Lin Yijun moved stepped aside with a casual shrug.
Now the spotlight was on Xiao Lianfeng, the new contender in opening the door.
Xiao Lianfeng knew Lin Yijun was lazy, but despite that, his strength was undeniable. If Lin Yijun had struggled to open the door, it could only mean that the door itself was something special.
Xiao Lianfeng, unwilling to look weak in front of his sworn brother, quickly planted his feet and set his shoulders.
With a grunt, he threw all his force into the push. His arms tightened, muscles flexing as he shoved hard against the door, using every ounce of his strength.
However, same case as Lin Yijun, the door remained still.
“…”
Xiao Lianfeng stepped back, breathing more heavily than usual, his face calm but internally confused.
“How…?” Xiao Lianfeng muttered, glancing at the door with suspicion.
Behind him, Lin Yijun couldn’t hold back anymore. He burst out laughing, the sound echoing down the alley.
“Haha! So it’s not just me, huh, Brother Lianfeng?” Lin Yijun teased, his grin wide.
“I guess this door’s too much even for you.”
Xiao Lianfeng shot him a piercing look but couldn’t hide a smile.
“Looks like neither of us is strong enough for this door, Brother Yijun.”
Lin Yijun had no doubts left. If even Xiao Lianfeng, who was on the verge of breaking through to the Saint Realm, couldn’t open the door, then this wasn’t a simple case of brute strength.
Xiao Lianfeng’s cultivation was many stages above his own.
For such a door to remain completely unmoved, not even shaking under Xiao Lianfeng’s full force, meant one thing.
‘This merely isn’t some locked door.’ Lin Yijun thought, rubbing his chin.
“It must be protected by an incredibly powerful spell, array formation, or sealing arts – something that even the word formidable isn’t enough to describe.”
Xiao Lianfeng nodded.
“It makes sense. There’s no way an ordinary door could withstand us both. This must be a work of a master.”
Just as they were deep in thought, a sudden laugh sounded behind them.
“Heh. Are you two all muscle and no brain? Can’t you see the sign says ‘Closed’?”
“That’s why you can’t open it.”
Lin Yijun and Xiao Lianfeng stiffened.
The voice belonged to Hua Feixue, one of the disciples from the Snow Petal Sect.
Hua Feixue stood with her arms crossed, looking down at them with a smug expression, as if she were watching two overgrown children making fools of themselves.
However –
In reality, she had almost done the same thing.
Hua Feixue had also been about to march forward and try her luck at pushing the door open.
Thankfully, at the last second, her Senior Sister, Yue Xueyan, had grabbed her sleeve and subtly pointed to the hanging wooden sign on the other side of the door.
[Closed]
Hua Feixue barely stopped herself from stepping into embarrassment, but she definitely would have tried if not for Yue Xueyan’s intervention.
Truly fortunate!
She nearly joined in their humiliation!
Hehe.
Meanwhile –
Lin Yijun and Xiao Lianfeng stood frozen in place, staring at the sign, then at each other.
Realizing the situation, they immediately straightened up.
Their backs went stiff. Their expressions turned calm and dignified, as if nothing had happened.
Both of them let out a couple of fake coughs.
“Ahem.”
“Ah, yes, naturally.” Lin Yijun said.
“We were simply… testing it.”
“Right.” Xiao Lianfeng agreed, nodding sagely.
“We knew something wasn’t right.”
